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Old 01-17-13, 02:24 AM   #3
AC_Hacker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Piwoslaw View Post
...Shows how inefficient our digestive track is...
I have heard that the figure is around 10% efficient.

That's true for plant photosynthesis.

That true for herbivores.

That's true for carnivores.

I read a very interesting book that used this figure to explain how many square feet of land are required to support a plant.

And thus how many square feet of land are required to support an herbivore (that feed on plants).

And thus how many square feet of land are required to support a carnivore (that feed on herbivores).

And thus how many square feet of land are required to support a human (that preys on carnivores).

The land space requirement gets high pretty quickly.

It's a real pyramid thing.

-AC
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